Rocky Road to Freedom
by chocolatecastleinthesky
Summary: Six years after the war, problems arise just when everyone is settling down.  My first fanfiction, please review with any criticisms.
1. New Beginnings

Sokka was raging. Pacing in the Firelord's palace, he regularly glowered at the door, behind which Katara aided Mai with the birthing process. He muttered to himself, until Zuko yelled, "Relax will you? I'm the one who should be pacing!" His head fell back between his legs as he sat against the wall, anxiously waiting.

He couldn't help but wish Uncle Iroh was here already. The Jasmine Dragon was flourishing and Iroh had to serve tea to the Earth King a few days ago. So he had left right afterwards, but it took a while to get to the Fire Nation capital.

Sokka continued muttering to himself, but he sat next to Zuko. He couldn't believe what Aang had told him! It had been six years since the end of the war. But it was too much for Sokka to acknowledge that his little sister is grown up.

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o_

Aang nervously paced in his room, trying to decide how he was supposed to explain things to Sokka. "So, Sokka, man! We've been friends for a long time.. you, me, Katara. And I thought, you know.. aaaargh! Why can't I just tell him!" Momo squeaked at him. "I know. It's just.. he's my best friend." He turned to Katara, who was lying on the bed. "Help?" She laughed but was cut off by a knock.

Sokka knocked on Aang's door. Something was wrong with him. He hadn't seen Aang in a while. It almost felt like the Avatar was avoiding him. It wasn't like Aang to miss breakfast, especially as an eighteen year old. "Aang? Aang, dude, open up!"

Inside, Aang and Katara looked at each other in panic. As the door opened, Aang ushered Katara into the closet. "Hi, Sokka!" Aang nervously rubbed the back of his head and blushed.

"What's going on, Aang? Is there some big bad who's butt we have to kick?" He pulled out his boomerang and got into a fighting stance.

"Why would there be something wrong? Nothing's wrong." He anxiously smiled.

"Then why are you avoiding us?" He put his boomerang away and intently stared at Aang.

"Well.. about that.. you see.. Katara and I," He was broken off by Zuko running into the room.

"I need Katara! Where is she?"

"What's wrong?" Katara burst out of the closet at the anxiety in his voice.

"W-what were you doing in the closet!" Sokka's jaw dropped.

"It's Mai! She's giving birth!" Zuko dragged her out of the room.

"Yeah.. Katara and I are dating, Sokka." Aang caught up with the other two benders on his ball of air, leaving Sokka standing in the room angry.

_o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o_

Now Sokka grimaced. He wanted to kill Aang. Right now, Aang was waiting for Iroh and Toph to arrive, having been sent away by Zuko who could sense the tension between the two males. "Sokka, Katara is twenty. She's plenty old enough to make her own decisions. Aang's your best friend. Just relax and be happy for them. It's not like we haven't seen this relationship coming."

"I always just thought Aang had a crush on her. I mean, they kind of dated after the war ended but I honestly thought Katara liked you." Sokka looked over at his friend, the soon-to-be father. Zuko was a wreck.

"They've been dating for a while. They hid it from you because they knew you would freak out." Zuko had trouble concentrating on the conversation. He was anxious about Mai. _Why won't she let me in? I can help her!_ He knew Mai would never let him see her this vulnerable though. They'd come a long way from hiding things, but some habits were hard to break.

The door opened and Katara slipped out, smiling. "Are you ready to meet your baby, Zuko?"


	2. Suki's Visit

_Suki, Some of the Dai Li agents show improvement. You should come visit and test them to see if they're ready for your rehabilitation center. Azula continues to talk to an imaginary Zuzu and Dai Li agents. She shows little improvement. No one has mentioned the big news concerning Zuko and Mai's baby. Maybe that will help her realize she's not and won't be in control of the Fire Nation. Hope all is well with you and Cutie! – Ty Lee_

Suki sighed as she read the letter. It meant she had to go visit in the Fire Nation. She smiled to herself, realizing Sokka, or Cutie (as Ty Lee called him) was there. She stood, and called in her second-in-command. "I need to take a trip to the Fire Nation. Ty Lee believes that some of the Dai Li have improved enough to be tested. I should also check in on Azula. While I am gone, I expect you to continue the training of the new Kyoshi Warriors and oversee the citizens." The girl agreed and bowed before exiting the room.

A few days later and she arrived at the Fire Nation capital. She was pleased to see Sokka walking around town. She crept up behind him while he eyed the food being sold in one of the shops. "I see your appetite hasn't changed." She laughed when he jumped.

"Suki!" He hugged her. "What are you doing here? How are you?" He was giddy with excitement.

She laughed again. "I'm fine, Sokka. And I'm here to check on some of the Dai Li agents and Azula." His face drooped. "But the fact you're here was why I hurried the trip." His face lit up again. She kissed him quickly. "But I really must go and congratulate Zuko and Mai before I take care of official business. I'll see you soon."

When she entered the palace, she saw Katara and Aang holding hands walking towards the gardens. She smiled and decided she would say hello to them later. She approached the Firelord's meeting room, hesitantly knocking. "Come in."

Suki was surprised to see Mai sitting in there with Zuko and a few of the remaining war generals. She held their new son, Fai, in her arms. She rose to greet her friend. "Suki, how wonderful to see you." Her lack of excitement would seem rude if one didn't know Mai. "Excuse me, generals. Zuko." She smiled at her husband before exiting the room.

Suki followed Mai into the nursery, where she set Fai down in a crib. "How are things at the center?" She sat in a chair, visibly exhausted to Suki's surprise.

"They're going good. Many of the people we're sending through are old war prisoners, so they just have to adjust to life outside of prison. They never really did anything wrong. We've only had one Dai Li agent so far, but Ty Lee believes there are some that may be ready to go through. That's why I'm visiting. But how are you, Mai?"

She smiled. "I'm happy, Suki. Zuko is a wonderful father and husband, although he is very afraid of becoming his father." Her smiled was gone. "I am, too."

"You two are wonderful parents, already." Fai started to cry and Suki rose. "I'll let you handle him. I'll try to get my business out of the way."

Ty Lee greeted her friend at the entrance to the high security prison with a hug. She chattered on the way to Azula's cell, passing the previous Firelord Ozai. They could hear maniacal laughter from down the hall way, and knew Azula was up. "Oh, Zuzu! How wonderful it is for you to be Firelord. But it's not fair you see! To become Firelord you must KILL the previous one! And here I am, Zuzu!" She continued cackling, blue fire bouncing into the corridor.

Ty Lee cartwheeled over to Azula, and entered the cell; chi-blocking her so Suki could safely speak to Zuko's sister. Azula glared at the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. "Hello, Azula. I hope you are well. I bring news from your brother." Azula looked away. "He has a son, named Fai."

Azula turned and glowered at Suki. "No! It's not possible! The throne is mine!"

"No, Azula. The throne is Zuko's. And after him, it will be Fai's. You need to accept that fact or you will never get better." She left the cell, knowing Azula would never be better. Ty Lee and Mai had told her about the child Azula – and if the child version of a person is awful, the adult could not be fixed. Ty Lee accompanied her as she approached the prison for the Dai Li, which unlike Azula and Ozai's prison cells, was outside of the capital's walls.


	3. Relationship Realizations

Katara smiled at the flowers on her bed. Aang really was a sweet boy. The past six months had been wonderful, even though they were frequently apart. She got dressed to attend a meeting that Zuko had arranged for the four nations to discuss how rebuilding was going. Because she was already there, her father had sent his regards and requested that she and Sokka take his place representing the Water Tribes.

Toph leaned against the doorway to Katara's room. The Earth King had sent her to represent the Earth Kingdom, now that she was his trusted advisor. "Hurry up, Sweetness." Katara was glad Toph couldn't see her smile.

"Hold on, I have to change out of my Fire Nation clothing." She wore this frequently despite having brought plenty of Water Tribe clothing, because she knew Aang liked it. She blushed at the thought while she hurriedly changed.

The meeting was brief. Zuko, Mai, Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph were the only ones in the meeting, so it was very relaxed. As the meeting disbanded, Zuko teased Aang and Katara, asking when they would be producing a baby. Sokka stormed out of the room, running into Suki, who was trying to enter.

"Sokka, are you alright?" She put her hand on his shoulder.

"No! Zuko just suggested… like Aang and Katara would… ugh!" His head dropped onto her shoulder.

"Sokka, they're adults now. I'm surprised they haven't been dating for longer than six months."

"SIX MONTHS? Was I the only one who didn't know?" His arms were flailing as his mind tried to wrap around the fact his sister and best friend had been together that long.

"Sokka, meet me tonight in the garden, okay? Right now I have to speak with Zuko." She hugged him. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes." He pouted when she walked into the room filled with laughter.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Kong smiled to himself. With the Firelord's approval, he would be leaving the prison within the next few days. His test had gone smoothly. It had taken years to get the act down. He could only hope Sheng and Tu had done as well.

His thoughts turned to the plan at hand. He had to figure out the layout of the place they were holding Azula. Once she was out, they could effectively take over the Fire Nation again. He lay on his bed and ran through the plans in his head.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Suki paced in the flower garden, sensing something was off. _The Dai Li agents Ty Lee suggested passed with flying colors. And Zuko seemed to be willing to meet with them within the next few days to grant approval to bring them to the center. So why does it all feel off?_

"Suki!" Sokka ran towards his girlfriend.

"Shh! Sokka, we don't want to wake the whole palace!" She smiled at him, and he took her hand, leading her into the heart of the garden.

They sat on a bench together, and she snuggled against him and sighed in contentment. He leaned in to kiss her. Before long, they were far from understanding anything about the world around them. "Suki, I've missed you." They stared into each other's eyes, and Suki felt a happiness that she could get only from being in Sokka's arms.

"Katara?" Aang pushed through the bushes behind the couple. "Oh! Sorry, Sokka. Suki." He blushed and dashed away before Sokka registered what was happening.

"Why was he looking for Katara? What could they possibly be doing at this hour in the garden?" He jumped up and was waving his arms in frustration.

Suki laughed. "Probably what we were doing."

"They can't… he can't… THAT'S MY SISTER!" Sokka's anger had exploded.

"Sokka, calm down!" Suki grabbed his arm but he stalked off, trying to find the twerp that was dating his little sister.

Upstairs, Zuko rocked his son back to sleep. "Zuko, I could have done that." Mai's voice floated over to him from where she leaned against the doorway, her robes loosely tied over her naked body.

"You fed him. Besides, I like holding him." He smiled up at his wife. The whole thing was surreal. Ten years ago they had played together as childhood friends. But in the past nine years she had gone from enemy to girlfriend to ex-girlfriend to girlfriend, and now she had been his Firelady for two years.

"I just said I could have done that." She smiled and sat down next to him. "Who would have thought that Zuko, the banished prince, would be the Firelord, let alone a father?" Her hand rested on his scar.

"Will he be afraid of that?" His voice was shaky. His scar was his biggest insecurity, even over how well he was running the Fire Nation.

"No. He will realize that it is a mark of his father's compassion and bravery." She kissed the burnt part of his cheek and lifted the sleeping child from his arms to lay him in the crib. "Come back to bed, Zuko. You need your rest." She tugged on his arm while she walked past, and he followed her into their bedroom.


	4. Dai Li

**I haven't talked to you guys like many people do… So here's me, saying hi! Chapter four is going to be longer, because I want to work on getting to know the Dai Li agents, Tu (meaning Soil/Earth), Sheng (meaning Triumph/victory), and Kong (meaning Void/hollow). (Fai means beginning/growth. Yes, I chose names based on English meanings.) Also, I would appreciate reviews to see how I'm doing. This is harder than I thought it would be. =] and thank you if you're actually reading this!**

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><p>Kong watched as Firelord Zuko inspected Sheng, Tu and himself. He stood placidly, eyes downcast, pretending to be a changed, obedient man. He looked at his allies from the corner of his eye, when the Firelord stopped in front of him. "You're name is Kong, right?"<p>

Kong looked up into the young Firelord's face. "Yes, sir." His blood rushed at the thrill of getting out of such a useless place. The prison was made out of metal, and few Earthbenders were able to bend that, not even the Dai Li. He also looked forward to getting new clothing – the prison garb was drab, red clothing, proof he was a prisoner of the Fire Nation.

"Kong, what is your opinion of the way the prison here is run?" Surprise flashed across the agent's face.

"My opinion, sir?" He didn't know how to answer that. From the aspect of a prisoner, it was miserable, boring, well scheduled – but from the view of an official, it was well-run, efficient and effective.

"Yes, you're opinion. Are the prisoners treated well, are the guards attentive? Is the food decent?" Zuko cared about these things after his experience on Boiling Rock with Sokka.

Kong thought quickly. "The prisoners are treated fine; the guards are not abusive but attentive and willing to take appropriate disciplinary action. The food is bland but filling. The tea, excellent." That was the truth. Kong was surprised to see the Firelord laugh at the last statement.

"I'll have to tell Uncle you said so. He'll be pleased." The Firelord looked him up and down. "The world is changed, Kong. I see you are a leader. At the rehabilitation center you will be sent to a special section, where you will learn about the state of the world and what you can do to improve it. No bending is allowed there without Kyoshi Warrior consent. With good behavior, the Kyoshi Warriors will give you positions to help in the center. With bad behavior, you end up back here with at least a year before you are eligible to try again. Do you understand?" Kong nodded, his eyes gleaming. "Good. I have other business to attend to." Zuko nodded towards Suki. "Take them to the rehabilitation center."

The Kyoshi Warriors herded the three towards the transportation vehicles while Suki and Zuko talked in the corner. "I don't know what it is, Zuko. Everything checks out. Something is not right. I don't want to worry you, you and Mai are going on vacation to Ember Island soon with Fai and all, but…"

He interrupted her. "We were planning on putting off our vacation anyways. Mai's mother is insisting on seeing her grandson before we leave." He sighed. "Mai isn't thrilled and they have to travel here from another island. I'm sure they'll stay for a while. I'm just thankful Uncle Iroh is here to help."

Suki sighed and looked at the transportation vehicles. She would be riding with the Dai Li agents to return to the center. "Why did you separate the one from the others?"

"I don't trust him. I have no proof anything is wrong and I know you have that leader program you specifically run. I thought you could keep an eye on him this way." Zuko looked down at his best friend's girlfriend. "I'm thinking of asking Sokka to spend a few days there while they're getting adjusted to see what he thinks."

Suki blushed. "He put you up to that, didn't he?" They laughed. "It would be nice to have him nearby. Thank you, Zuko."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Mai supervised the servants preparing the rooms for her parents and Tom Tom. She had known her mother would visit once she found out about the baby, although she had tried her best to delay her knowing, much like she had done about the wedding. Zuko had long ago asked her parents to live in Ba Sing Se and assist with affairs there, allowing at least a few weeks buffering zone between them and Mai.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Aang concluded the ceremony and watched as Mai and Zuko kissed. Ty Lee, Katara, Suki and Toph stood to her right, with Uncle Iroh, Sokka and Momo to Zuko's left. After the ceremony, he jumped in line next to Katara, as a groomsman.

At the reception, he noticed Mai's mother glaring at her. "Hello, ma'am. How are you enjoying the wedding?"

She sniffed. "It was fine. I just need to talk to Mai about why I wasn't told earlier that she was engaged! And why I wasn't invited to help plan the wedding!"

Aang stiffened, realizing this wasn't going the way he wanted. "I think Ty Lee did a wonderful job. Mai was too busy helping Zuko with his relationships with the other countries."

"She needs to stop worrying about politics and worry more about her appearances. She doesn't care about herself."

"Excuse me, ma'am. I need to go speak with Iroh." Aang sped off, afraid of where that conversation was going.

Zuko and Mai overheard this and Zuko clenched his fists and stepped towards her. She held his arm. "Zuko, please. Not today."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

The rooms had to be perfect, and Zuko returned to the palace to find Mai involved in the cleaning of the room. They had decided long ago to be active members of the household. "Need any help?" Zuko stood in the doorway, watching his wife making a bed.

She smiled. "Take Fai outside? I feel better with you watching him and we haven't taken him outside yet. I'll join you in a few minutes."

Zuko held Fai, sitting next to the pond to feed the turtle-ducks. He heard Mai approach and wrapped his free arm around her when she sat down. "You shouldn't worry so much. You're parents are going to be happy to just play with Fai." He kissed her forehead.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Suki accompanied the Kyoshi warriors in the front of the metal wagon they rode. There were a few riding behind and on the sides of the wagons on ostrich-horses. The three men in the wagon had talked quietly during the trip, but she hadn't listened in much.

"We're getting further away from our goal. Even physically." Sheng argued the point of getting released to the rehabilitation center.

"No, we're getting closer. It's about patience." Kong quietly tried to make his point.

"Patience was fine before the child. Now, we have to move quickly, before the child has a chance to grow up." Sheng wasn't buying it.

"Relax. I'm sure Azula knows that. She's clever. She may not know that we're going to help her, but she would be stupid not to catch on soon enough."

"Are you sure the general will cooperate?" Tu spoke up for the first time.

"He will if he knows what's best for him. Azula rewards those who are loyal." Kong ended the discussion when he felt the wagon slow.

Suki opened the doors. "We're loading the boat now. Come on." The Dai Li agents looked at each other, surprised. They had never considered that the center might be on an island.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Aang and Katara helped Sokka load up the wagon he would be taking with two of the military generals to the center. "Don't do anything stupid, okay Sokka?" Katara hugged him.

"The same goes for you. Fly safe Katara. Aang, take care of my sister." Sokka had come to terms with the fact that they were dating, although he still wasn't happy about it. He also knew that when they reached the South Pole, his father would keep an eye on them. He hugged the avatar.

Zuko walked out into the courtyard, where the wagon and Appa were waiting to take his friends away. "Thank you for helping, Sokka. I'm not sure I trust all the military officials yet, but I do trust your judgment." Zuko hugged the man that had become like a brother to him. "Send me a messenger hawk before you return to the South Poke." He turned to Aang. "Travel safe. Take care of Katara."

"Of course!" He smiled at the Firelord before climbing onto Appa's head. "Yip yip!"

Katara and he waved good-bye to their friends in the Fire Nation before heading out. He climbed back to the saddle and kissed Katara. She smiled at him. "I can't believe that Sokka is letting us travel alone." They laughed.

"He's seemed to be okay with us dating now." Aang smiled at his girlfriend and reached for her hand. They settled in against the back of the saddle for the ride.


	5. Fluffiness LoveyDovey

**Fluffiness! I decided to do a chapter that's lovey dovey and fluffy for several reasons. One, because I like this stuff. Two, the last chapter ended with a lot of traveling and some plotting. Figured this would be a nice continuation of the traveling and also some arriving and release some tension for the characters. Hope you enjoy, and please tell me what I'm doing right and wrong… it helps! =]**

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><p>Katara woke up when she felt Appa descending. "Aang, what's going on?" She asked him groggily.<p>

"We're going to set up camp and let Appa rest, too. We don't need to rush getting you home, do we?" He turned around and smiled at his sleepy girlfriend, who was currently climbing over the saddle to sit next to him on Appa's head.

They landed on a small island and set up camp on the coast. Zuko had given them a tent to sleep in, as well as food and sleeping bags. Katara gathered wood and stones to make their fire pit while Aang set up the tent and sleeping bags. Then, Aang used firebending to start the fire while Katara used waterbending to start a stew. After they ate, Katara fed Appa (since MoMo ate when they did) and Aang took off his saddle.

Katara yawned and Aang took her into the tent. "Katara, why don't you get changed in here, and I'll get changed out there." He took his pajama pants and changed behind the tent. He couldn't help but notice the shadow of Katara changing into her night shirt.

"Aang, I'm done." She called out to him and he blushed, realizing how distracted he had been with watching her.

He entered the tent, the pink still on his cheeks and kissed her. She gasped in surprise before softening into it. He slowly laid her down on the sleeping bag without breaking the kiss. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and his were entangled in her hair. He broke the kiss and looked down at the girl he'd fallen in love with. "Katara…" He whispered her name, trailing off.

"Yes, Aang?" She was breathing heavy under him.

"I love you, Katara." She smiled up at her airbender.

"I love you, too, Aang." They kissed again, and when they finally fell asleep, she was snuggling into his side with her head resting on his chest.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

The sun was rising when the ship approached the Kyoshi Rehabilitation Center. It was a small island Aang had created off the coast of Kyoshi island. The center was designed for the sole purpose of getting war prisoners accustomed to society. Many of the people who were in the center had been put in jail by the Fire Nation unjustly.

Sokka rose, excited to know he would see Suki soon. The two Fire Nation generals slept below deck, but Sokka had been up most of the night, anxious to reach the island. He worried something had happened to Suki while he had been gone. He tried to get past that, he knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself and others – she had proven that many times.

He thought about the women in his life. _Suki, Katara, Toph, Mai, Ty Lee, the Kyoshi Warriors… I really need to find females who AREN'T more powerful than I am. _He sighed in defeat and looked at the quickly fading moon. _Maybe it's better for me if I am, so I don't have to lose one of them again. _"I'm sorry, Yue."

Then, they were docking and Suki rushed forward to hug Sokka. "You made it!" She smiled up at him, full make-up and uniform on. "Come on, let's get you settled before I show you around. I have other warriors taking care of the generals."

She led him up a staircase to a set of rooms that were obviously for guards. She led him into the largest one. "I get the big room?" His eyes widened in excitement.

She laughed. "One condition." He sighed in disappointment. "You have to share it with me." His eyes lit up again and he danced in place, causing her more laughter. She kissed him and closed the door.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Iroh, Zuko, Mai and her parents were having a private dinner when Fai started to cry. Mai quickly rose to go check on him, when her mother grabbed her arm. "Mai, what are you doing? Let the servants take care of him."

Mai looked at her mother in disgust and Zuko cut in. "Ma'am, we decided we were going to raise Fai ourselves. We don't have anyone to take care of him but ourselves." He nodded Mai towards the crying baby.

The rest of dinner was strained, despite Iroh's attempts to smooth things over. When they went into their room, Mai's fists were clenched and her jaw tight. Zuko changed into his bed shorts, but noticed Mai just stood there. He walked over and pulled her against his bare chest. He nestled his head against her hair, loving the smell of her. "Mai, relax. It'll be okay."

"Either I'm too involved, or I'm too uninvolved. Like she should be a judge of how good of a mother I am!" Her body shook in one of her rare fits of emotion.

"Mai, you are a wonderful mother. Now, relax with me." He smiled at her, and her arms wrapped around his waist. She rested against his chest and sighed in contentment. "Do you want a massage? Maybe that will relax you. You worry too much, Mai."

"I'll take a massage, Zuko. Thank you." She stripped down and lay on their bed. He kneeled over her and kneaded her back, feeling the tension built up around her shoulders and neck. He leaned down to kiss her neck, wishing she would just relax.

Before long, he felt the knots fade away. "Feeling better?" His voice was low and she rolled over and smiled at him. He leaned down and kissed her hard on the mouth, and she reached up and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck to pull him closer to her. He was surprised by her energy and whispered her name into her hair, breathing hard from the intense kissing.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Toph sighed. She knew she had to return to Ba Sing Se soon. She walked through the Fire Nation's palace, thinking how wonderful it was to have all sense of decorum thrown out. She sensed Mai's mother stalk towards Zuko's room. At least most of it.

"Excuse me. Could you help me?" Toph used her helpless voice. "I seem to have gotten lost on my back from the turtle-duck pond. Could you guide me back to my room?"

Mai's mother looked surprised. "O-of course." She put Toph's arm on her own and silently led her to her room. "Here you go. You'd better go to bed."

"Of course. You probably should, too." Toph closed her door and muttered to herself. "Poor Mai. Her parents are almost as bad as mine were! At least mine have been more accepting since I've been aiding the Earth King."

She lay on her bed and thought about Sokka. She tried to imagine what he looked like. She knew he was tall and she could tell he was strong from the times he had carried her. She'd heard once that he had a ponytail, so his hair had to be a little long. She sighed. It was a lot of work to try to put together a picture of something she'd never seen. _And never will see, dummy. Besides, he loves Suki. And if he's into Kyoshi Warriors, Ty Lee likes him too. And they can both see._

She rolled onto her stomach and punched her pillow. Zuko had made a room for when she came to visit, off the side of the palace with rock walls. It was comforting for her and she was glad he was so understanding of her preferences, which was why she diverted Mai's mother from their room. She knew that if she were married, she wouldn't want her mother to interrupt anything.


	6. Rehabilitation

**Back to the story line! Now, Ju Long means powerful/gigantic dragon. **

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><p>Katara felt happy as she helped Aang take down their campsite. She smiled to herself when she thought of what happened last night. They had redefined their boundaries, and it felt good. It wasn't long before they were in the air, cuddling in the saddle.<p>

"Aang, tell me about the Air Nomads. I find your story so amazing, and I want to know more about your culture." He smiled at the waterbender in his arms and started to tell her things about the monks and the way he was raised.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

General Ju Long accompanied Sokka and Suki as they toured the center, spending a lot of time in the leadership ward. "This is Kong, our newest recruit." The Dai Li agent nodded at the two, and caught eyes with the General. "They are being trained to become leaders in the new world. Most of the people who were wrongly imprisoned have sifted through the center. We are working our way up to higher level criminals, such as the Dai Li. We hope that with proper care, we can get them back into society as working members." Suki hoped so.

The leadership ward was the end of the tour. "General, do you have any questions?" Sokka turned to the companion. General Lee was sick in his room and Sokka had hoped that this general would prove his worth to Zuko.

"Are the members of the leadership ward allowed to interact with the members of the other wards?" His question took them by surprise.

"Not until they have completed the first stage of training. We have three stages – education, inner-center service and outer-center service. The first is obvious – we educate them on the world and what is expected of them in the current societies. The second is showing their worth as a leader within the center, often given tasks by the guards. The last is guarded trips to local towns to aid them. After that, they are assigned a town or city and sent there for three months with supervision. The training only takes a few weeks. It's longer than many were held for, but they get the most out of it."

The general nodded, understanding the idea. "Thank you, Miss Suki. I have no more questions." He walked off, towards the open areas for the rest of the members. Suki and Sokka watched him from the balcony over the courtyard. He paused and spoke to one of the new members, Tu, before returning to his room.

"Sokka, I still feel like something is off." She turned towards her boyfriend, concerned.

"Is it the Dai Li agents? They've been here for a couple of days. Should they be here together?" Sokka put his arm around her.

"They've been acting fine. Advancing quickly. The two in the yard should be out within a few days."

"But you're not confident in it?" He was concerned for her.

"No, not really." She leaned against the railing. "Sokka, what do you think?"

"I think you should trust your gut. Zuko had a similar feeling about one of the guards, which is why he wanted me to come along. Keep an eye on them, now and after they get out. That's all you can do."

She hugged him. "Thanks, Sokka. I've been really bothered by this. You have no idea how wonderful it is to be able to have someone I can talk to about it." She smiled suggestively at him. "Or take my mind off of it!" She giggled while she pulled him towards their room.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Zuko entered his room after taking care of business with an ambassador from one of the Fire Nation cities about import and export activities. "Mai, what are you doing?" His wife was throwing clothes into a bag.

"Packing for Ember Island." She turned to him. "Zuko, I can't take it anymore!" She fell against him, crying.

He stroked her hair. "I'll see what I can do. You're family has been here for over a week, and we need our time to get accustomed to our new family life. Why don't you finish packing, and then rest. We'll leave in the morning." He kissed her forehead and wiped away her tears.

"Thank you, Zuko. I love you."

"I love you, too, Mai."

He left the room and ran into his Uncle. "Zuko, I was just looking for you."

"What is it, Uncle?"

"You are running low on tea! I shall send a letter to have my teaboy send us some tea from The Jasmine Dragon." He looked at his nephew. "What is it?"

"We are leaving for Ember Island in the morning. Mai needs a vacation. Her parents have her stressing and she's already overtaxed."

"You look overtaxed, too. Yes, nephew, this is a good idea. I will help run things while you are away. How long are you going to be gone?"

"One week. Thank you, Uncle." Zuko gave him a big hug.

The next morning, Mai and Zuko got up before dawn to get Fai ready to leave. But when he started crying, Mai's mother rushed into his room. "What are you doing to him at this hour? He needs his sleep. Mai, do you know what you are doing to him?" She was practically yelling.

Zuko could sense Mai was upset so he stepped up. "We have to leave early in order to arrive at a reasonable hour. So if you will excuse us, we have to be going." He took his son from Mai's arms and led them out of the palace and onto a modified flying warship.

Mai's mother followed. "You cannot possibly take a baby on that thing? What kind of parents are you?" She shouted as Zuko followed Mai up the stairs.

He whispered to her, "Don't listen to her, Mai. You're an amazing mother and wife." Once they were off the ground, Mai seemed to relax. She held Fai while he slept and Zuko held her in his arms, smiling at his wife and son.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

A few days had passed and Suki was releasing Tu and Sheng from the rehabilitation center. General Ju Long and General Lee accompanied them with two Kyoshi Warriors. Sokka had decided to remain for a few more days, just to be able to spend time with Suki. She woke up the morning after they had left and rolled over to rest on Sokka's chest.

They had been taking things slow, but couldn't resist sharing a bed. She kissed his chest softly, waking him up. "Suki?" She giggled and kissed him again. "Suki…" That came out more of a moan. There was a knock at the door.

She sighed. "I'll get that." She pulled on a robe over her night dress to answer the door. "What is it?"

"We've had a break out." One of the warriors stood at the door, panicked.

"A break out?" Suki stood in shock, and Sokka jumped out of bed and started to dress.

"What time?" He asked from across the room.

"Around midnight. It was during guard switch."

"Who was it?" Suki knew the answer.

"Kong, the Dai Li agent."

"Thank you." Sokka dismissed the warrior and turned to Suki. "Get dressed and meet me in the courtyard. I'll start asking questions and getting people sorted into groups for interviewing. I'll also send messages to Zuko, King Kuei, King Bumi, Aang and my dad. We'll get this figured out."


	7. Plots

**It's been awhile since I've posted a chapter due to familial problems - but I've been writing them!**

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><p>Zuko was laughing as he splashed Mai and Fai with water on the beach. The baby squirmed around, not quite smiling at his age. His mother, however, was smiling at the two boys in her life. They laid back on their towel, the baby between them under the shady umbrella, when a young messenger ran up to the family.<p>

"Firelord Zuko, sir, I have a letter from the Kyoshi Rehabilitation Center." The messenger panted the words out and handed Zuko Sokka's letter.

_Zuko, Kong broke out. Same day as Tu and Sheng released. No clue as to motivation. Generals left with Tu and Sheng. Be careful with Mai and Fai. I informed Aang, Bumi, Kuei, and my dad. We'll meet you at Ember Island. Suki and I are already on the way. – Sokka_

Zuko crumbled the letter in frustration and muttered, "Of course. That would be too easy for me." Mai rose, leaving the sleeping baby on the towel behind them.

"Zuko, what's going on?" She wrapped her arms around his waist, both for stability and to calm her passionate Firelord.

"A Dai Li agent escaped from Suki's center. Get Fai, we're going up to the house." Zuko nodded to the messenger, who headed back to the post and followed his wife to their house (which was being renovated after Azula, Mai, Ty Lee and himself burned much of the interior objects and then again when training Aang).

Back at the house, Mai put Fai in his crib, which was in their room for the time being. They were still fixing up the nursery in their beach home. Zuko started to fix up bedrooms for some of the guests, such as Aang, Sokka and Katara. He would have to ask some of the other residents if they would be willing to let guests stay with them.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Aang was washing up in a river when Katara received her brother's letter. Without thinking, she ran to where Aang was, yelling his name. He was coming out of the water when she arrived, and they both blushed at the awkward encounter. Katara quickly looked away while Aang pulled on his pants. "I'm so sorry, Aang. I wasn't thinking."

He walked over and hugged his little waterbender. Since they'd gotten older, he'd grown to the point she only came up to his shoulders. "It's okay, Katara. What is it you wanted to tell me so bad?"

It was hard for her to focus when he was holding her so close, especially after what just happened. "Sokka. A letter. There was a break out. He wants us to meet everyone at Ember Island."

"Clean up and I'll take down camp and get Appa ready to go. Meet me back there as fast as you can, okay?" She nodded against his chest, loving the way it felt and wishing it could've lasted longer when he broke apart to get ready.

She bathed quickly, dressed and rushed back to the flying bison. Once they were in the air, Aang scooted up to help her brush her hair. "I'm sorry I interrupted your bath, Aang." She blushed just recalling the run in.

"It's okay, Katara. It was important." He blushed too, and when he finished brushing her hair, pulled her back against his chest. He kissed her neck. "I love you, Katara. And I don't think… I don't think I mind so much." He was nervous at the admission.

She smiled at what he said and relaxed against him, goose bumps popping up when he kissed her. "I love you too, Aang." She sighed, not completely able to stop worrying.

"Katara, everything will be fine. We're all getting together and thinking things through, we'll get to the bottom of the situation." He squeezed her around her waist. "For now, just relax. Appa will get us there as fast as he can, and worrying on the way there won't help anyone. Just enjoy the ride."

She smiled up at her boyfriend. "You're a hypocrite."

"Then why don't we help each other not worry?" Aang leaned down to kiss her and soon they had rearranged themselves so she was sitting in his lap facing him. His left hand cradled her head and his right one rested on her hip. Both of her arms had wrapped around his neck and pulled his head down towards her.

She leaned up towards him, taking control of their kiss. She gasped when his hand slid down to her butt. He instantly broke the kiss in panic and looked at her, his eyes asking if that was okay. She giggled softly and kissed him again, knowing they just redefined their boundaries and her brother would kill them if he knew.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Sokka and Suki were quiet most of the way to Ember Island. They knew they would be the first to arrive, being closest. They weren't sharing rooms, and Sokka was moody. When they arrived, Zuko greeted them and led them to the house. "Take your pick of rooms. We only have three available but I know you guys,"

Suki interrupted him. "We aren't sharing a room, Zuko." He looked surprised but nodded.

He motioned them towards two rooms opposite of theirs and the nursery. The other available room was around the corner. The house itself had many rooms, but due to the destruction they were currently being rebuilt.

Over the next few days everyone arrived. Aang and Katara took the room in Zuko's home, and Lo and Li offered everyone else rooms. Toph had accompanied King Kuei. She was happy to be out of the Earth Kingdom so quickly.

The first night everyone was there, the dinner was carefree and fun. They would have a meeting in the morning and for now they just wanted to enjoy being around each other again. After dinner, they decided to rest around a fire on the beach. Toph noticed the distance between Sokka and Suki and although she felt bad they were fighting at a time like this, she couldn't help but smile.

Aang sat on the ground leaning against Katara's legs while she sat next to her father on a raised rock the earthbenders had helped set up. No one was really talking, just trying to get the most of the peacefulness they could. All too soon Fai was crying and Mai and Zuko were headed inside to get him to bed and get some sleep themselves. Suki excused herself with them. The older men, Hakoda, Kuei and Bumi, headed back to Lo and Li's house for the night, leaving the original gang together.

"So Twinkletoes, what's the plan now?"

"I don't know yet." Aang's head hung and Katara slid down to hug him.

"What about you, Sokka? You always have the plan." Toph turned towards where she felt Sokka sitting at.

"Find the guys. Take them down." He was lying on his back, looking at the stars, wondering if Suki was okay.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Ju Long approached the guards of the royal prison, staggering. "Sir, are you okay?" They ran forward, long enough for the two Dai Li agents to slip inside.

"The prisoners… they beat me up, and ran off. The Kyoshi Warriors said it was fine for them to leave, and they waited until we were almost here to attack." He recited his story.

"And the warriors?"

"Gone, before the fight was finished. They didn't help at all." He thought to where they had hid the unconscious bodies in the woods in Earth Kingdom territory.

"What about the other general?" Ju Long shook his head. They had dumped him overboard on the way out from the island.

Ju Long noticed the agents slip out of the prison, alone. He spoke to the guard, "I'm going to go get rested. Please, keep an eye out."

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed this chapter - the ball really started to get rolling. I'll try to post the next chapter soon - I have to do a college visit and then resettle at home, so it might be a while.<strong>


	8. Theories

**Hi! I'm back and settled at home. So here's chapter 8. I decided to go with the whole readers-know-what's-going-on-and-the-characters-don't approach to the story, cuz I'm not good with mysteries. Enjoy, review, tell me what think.**

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><p>"The plan is coming together wonderfully." Tu and Sheng smiled at Ju Long. "You two did well. I'm assuming that Princess Azula is prepared?"<p>

"She is knowledgeable. We didn't completely prepare her. However, she does have an idea of what will happen."

"And Ozai?" The general looked at them intensely. Nothing could go wrong. Everyone had to play their part perfectly.

"He doesn't know what happened." The two Dai Li agents were nervous. Kong hadn't caught up to them yet, and he was the one with the plan all sorted out. They each only knew pieces. "And what about you?"

They were meeting in the tunnels underneath the Fire Nation capital city. "I made it sound like I was attacked and the Kyoshi Warriors did nothing, which suggested they had helped with the attack." He grinned. "Since the Firelord is closely tied with the warriors as well as the Avatar, this may bring the whole lot of them down."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"It has to do with Azula. That's the only thing I can think of." Zuko threw out his theory.

"I don't know. She banished them. I have trouble thinking they would stay loyal to her." Suki argued.

"What if they want the Earth Kingdom back?" Kuei spoke up.

Toph shook her head. "They wouldn't think that small after having close to the whole world with Azula. I'm with Zuko on this one."

Sokka nodded. "It makes sense. But I don't get how they would've escaped or how they would get in there."

"There's not enough proof of anything!" Aang was frustrated. "Zuko, if you think it has to do with Azula, put more guards there. Same with you, Kuei. I just don't get how everything is operating! They were separated, there should be no way to get into the prison and I agree with Toph that they wouldn't think small, but I agree with Suki that their loyalty should be questioned!"

"Either way, I think we need more guards at the prison with the other agents. It may be a small group, but there may be more inside." Katara nodded at Suki's idea.

Katara looked towards the man she loved, then to the man she thought of as a brother. "We need to figure out what's going on. Zuko, we need to get back to the capital city. I guess that's what our plan should be. And everyone else should head back to their nations and keep an eye on things there. This doesn't have to be a world-wide problem." He nodded, looking at the door where Mai and Fai had disappeared to a few moments ago.

While everyone left, Aang patted his back. "I know this must be hard for you, Zuko. Trying to fix problems and take care of your family."

"It's not just that, Aang. It's Mai. She doesn't seem to be doing well since the birth. She seems unusually weak as well as open. I'm worried about her, especially with everything that's going on. I'm not sure she can handle it." He cradled his head in his hands. "And I don't know how to help her! Or him! And I'm trying to be the best father I can be, but I don't know how! I keep trying to get help from Uncle, but he's busy keeping Mai's mother at bay so we CAN be parents!" The paper he held in his hands burst into flames.

"Zuko, calm down. You're doing your best, and that's all that can be asked of you." Katara rested her hand on Zuko's shoulder.

"She's right." Sokka sat by his best friend. "We can help with Fire Nation stuff. And with your family. And I'm sure our dad would be willing to give you any advice he can." Zuko nodded and smiled at his friends.

"Thank you. I know I can count on you guys."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Ty Lee smiled as she painted on her warrior make-up. She had taken a few days off to relax and spend time with the members of the circus that was in town. But now it was back to work, guarding Azula. As she cartwheeled towards the prison.

"Excuse me, miss, but you aren't allowed in there." The outside guard stood in front of her, blocking her path.

She frowned. "I'm supposed to guard Azula. I'm Ty Lee, the chi blocker."

"Kyoshi warriors are not allowed to be in the prison at the moment. Generals' orders. The Firelord will make the final decision based on current information."

"I'm sure Zuko would want me in there. He appointed me in the first place." Ty Lee was still optimistic but had become more of a serious person. Working in a prison had shown her the harsher side to life and she had to get serious, fast. She'd been promoted to guarding Azula. She tried to move forward again, and the guard again blocked her.

"We can discuss this when the Firelord returns. Good-bye."

She ran home, worried about the security.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Aang and Katara were packing in their room. "I'm worried about Sokka and Suki." Katara looked across the bed at the Avatar.

"I understand that they're fighting, but there's nothing new to that with them." He shrugged at her.

"It seems different somehow." Aang walked around and rubbed her shoulders. Katara relaxed against his muscular chest.

"Don't worry so much, Katara. They'll work things out." He kissed her neck and she sighed, turning towards him.

"You're right." She ran her hands along his chest. "We have bigger things to worry about."

"Let's not worry right now." He pushed her against the door, kissing her. She moaned a little against his onslaught.

He nuzzled her neck, planting a few kisses along her collarbone. She moaned a little louder. Sokka, on the other side of the door, smacked his head and stalked off.

Toph felt and heard him coming. "You keep muttering like that and someone's going to think you're crazy."

"Crazy! I will be if I ever hear that again!"

This caught her off guard. "What did you hear?"

"Katara… moaning!" He grimaced.

"Do you want me to remind them we have to leave?" Toph spoke softly, surprising Sokka.

"If you wouldn't mind."

"You'll owe me!" Toph walked towards the room, smiling to herself.


	9. Capital City

**So this is a much longer chapter than usual. Thanks for reading, and I appreciate the reviews.**

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><p>When they reached the Fire Nation capital, Iroh was waiting with Ty Lee at the landing zone. Zuko was alarmed. "What's going on?"<p>

Despite the cheery exterior, Mai could tell her best friend was frightened. "Ty Lee, what happened?"

"They won't let Kyoshi Warriors into the prison to guard Azula and Ozai!" Her outburst was unusual. She trembled, tears building in her eyes. "The Dai Li… they attacked the generals escorting them from Suki's facility, and… and General Ju Long says the Kyoshi Warriors did nothing, they ran away! I can't believe it!" She was crying now.

Mai handed Fai to Katara and hugged her friend. "Come on, Zuko will get things sorted out." She turned towards Iroh. "Uncle, could you help prepare tea and explain to us what has been happening while we were gone?"

When they got inside, Iroh poured tea for the group of young adults. Zuko looked up at him. "Is Azula involved?"

"When the wind blows through a forked tunnel, there are many exits for it to blow through."

Zuko scowled at his uncle. Despite the wonderful relationship the two shared, when he got philosophical, it rubbed him the wrong way. "Do you _think_ she's involved?" Mai leaned against him while Fai was sleeping in Katara's arms.

"It's very possible." The older man rested his hand on his nephew's shoulder. "She is crazy. With her, anything is possible."

"I need to get in there. Ty Lee, you're coming with me." Zuko looked at the girl. "You know Azula better than anyone here. I need to find out what you know."

"I'm sorry, Zuko, I don't know much. I had taken a few days off while you did because of the circus; I wanted to spend time with my old friends. I had put extra guards on duty, but I haven't seen them."

Sokka spoke up. "That doesn't seem right. Wouldn't they have reported to you after everyone was kicked out?"

She nodded. "I don't understand either. I've been looking for them, asking questions. I think everyone thinks that we aided the Dai Li in escaping. They don't trust us." She looked around the group, her ponytail swishing.

Aang looked frustrated. "Things were just settling down! Everything was fine!" His anger was bubbling and Katara put her free hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him.

"Aang, I know how you feel. We all feel like that." Mai spoke quietly from Zuko's side. "We need to break things down, get things sorted out, and get our lives back together."

Zuko looked at the group. "Uncle, bring General Ju Long in tomorrow morning. Sokka, send a letter to Suki that she needs to get here, pronto. This is worse than we thought. Toph, we need you in the room when he's being questioned – we can't have any lies. Katara, Aang, I need you two to send messages to the other nations and work on keeping this on the down-low. We can't have this getting out. Ty Lee, you are going back into the prison to guard Azula." He sighed. "We can do this."

The group got up to move on with the tasks that could be completed in the afternoon. Katara sighed wistfully when Mai took Fai into the nursery for a nap. She and Aang sat in their room, writing out letters. "Do you think going into the Avatar state would help?" Aang spoke quietly.

"I don't think it could hurt." She looked up from her paper. "You haven't gone into it in years, though, since you defeated Ozai."

"It's not something you forget, Katara. Maybe tonight I can try it?" He paused. "I'd like you to watch my body. I don't feel safe here unguarded, and I don't want anyone else to know I'm doing it."

"Of course, Aang, I'll do whatever you ask."

"Thanks, Katara."

That evening after everyone had gone to bed, Aang and Katara starting setting up for him to enter the Avatar state. While Katara changed into her night shirt, Aang changed into a loose pair of shorts. She glanced at the scar on his back. "Aang, would you like me to do some healing on your back?" He looked up at her from where he had settled.

"I'm fine, Katara. You can't get rid of a scar." She sighed and sat down next to him on the bed, rubbing his back, her hand lingering over the place Azula had hit him with lightning. He sighed. "As nice as that feels, you're going to have to stop if I want to get into the Avatar state." He opened one eye and smiled at the waterbender.

"Okay. Where do you want me?"

"Why don't you sit over in the chair until I enter the Spirit World, then you can come and sit by me." She did what he said and he slowed his breathing. Katara watched as his tattoos started to glow. Once she could tell he was in the Spirit World, she laid her head in his lap.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Aang looked around him. He was in a dense forest. "Avatar Roku, I need you." He watched as a shape started to drift towards him until Roku was fully materialized.

"You called for me, Aang?"

"Yes. We're having problems, and we don't know what the motive is. We only have guesses at what the goal is and who all is involved, outside of a small group of old Dai Li agents. I was hoping you would be able to provide me with more information."

"Aang, I can only advise you to trust your instincts. You've become a fully realized Avatar and I trust that you know what to do in most situations. I wish I could help you more."

"Thank you, Roku." Aang sighed before returning to the physical world. Katara lifted her head and yawned.

"Did you learn anything, Aang?" Her voice was heavy with sleep and he smiled at her messy hair.

"Not really. We'll talk in the morning, Katara." He kissed her forehead and picked her up off the bed to turn down the blankets. He laid her down and climbed in next to her. She cuddled against him and fell asleep.

He held her and thought about what Roku had said. He realized that the friendships he shared would be tested. He could only hope that being older would help the group stick together. He sighed and felt his girlfriend shift against him. _There's no use worrying now. I'll talk to Zuko about what Roku said in the morning. _Aang made a decision as he drifted off to sleep.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Toph and Sokka followed Zuko to Ju Long's home. There was a special section of the capital city for government officials. Sokka knocked on the door and a young woman answered. "Yes?"

"Hello, my name is Sokka. I'm an ambassador from the Southern Water Tribe. Firelord Zuko, Miss Toph Bei Fong and I were hoping we could speak with General Ju Long. Is he at home?"

The girl nodded. "Y-yes. Please come in." They were led to a small sitting room while the girl went to fetch her father.

Zuko listened to the short conversation. _"Father, you have visitors waiting in the sitting room."_

"_What did I say about inviting people in? I do not wish to be disturbed, I am ill."_

"_F-father, it's the Firelord with a few of his friends."_

"_Why didn't you say that in the first place, you stupid girl? Go fetch some tea and tell them I'll be down in a moment."_

Zuko heard footsteps approaching and glanced at his friends, mouthing _I'll explain later_. Soon the girl returned with a tray of tea. "I hope you enjoy." She backed out and a moment later her father entered.

"Sorry to take so long. I am injured from the fight on the way back from the rehabilitation center."

Zuko appeared to be unfazed. "If I had known I would have brought my friend, Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. She is talented at healing. If you would come by the palace later, perhaps she could take a look at you."

Ju Long looked uncomfortable. "That is very kind of you, Firelord, but I'm fine to take my time and recover the old-fashioned way."

"I insist." Zuko was firm; he knew Katara could help figure that aspect out. "But that is not why I am here. We have recently heard about the escape from the Kyoshi Warrior's Rehabilitation Center. I am sure you remember my friend Sokka," he motioned towards his best friend, "who was there with you until you left."

Sokka nodded towards the firebender. "I do remember him. So what can I help you with, concerning the escape?"

"We need to know what happened to your group." Ju Long nodded and began to speak.

"We were travelling with the newly released prisoners, and two Kyoshi Warriors. As we neared the city, they attacked us." Toph nudged Sokka lightly. "The Kyoshi Warriors did nothing to help; they left us to fend for ourselves." She nudged him again while his jaw dropped. He quickly regained composure. "The general and I fought the best we could, but the earth benders were very powerful." Toph looked confused. "They… they killed the general, and I barely escaped with my life. I was unable to bring him back."

"You seem to have recovered greatly from the time of the attack. How many days ago was this?" Zuko was quickly calculating the time it took for recovery from wounds and the day that it actually occurred.

"It was a couple of weeks ago. I can't remember the exact day."

"What kind of wounds did you receive?"

"A few cuts. I had a large bruise on my stomach." Toph nudged Sokka at the second statement. "My ankles were badly twisted from trying to escape."

"Well, I insist you join us for our friend to look at you. She can ensure everything has properly healed."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

They left the house, Toph and Sokka lingering behind, out of earshot, to discuss what they had just heard. Sokka held her arm, making sure she didn't get separated in the crush of the city, and spoke softly to her. "He didn't lie much, did he?"

"No, but there were parts where his heart sped up, but not enough to be lie. He was telling the truth… but was changing part of it or leaving something out. The obvious lies were when I nudged you."

"I figured that much. If we could only get ahold of the warriors that travelled with them! If we could hear what they said happened…" Sokka sighed in frustration.

"Don't hurt yourself, there." Toph turned her head towards his voice, "looking" up at him. "Sokka, things will be figured out."

"I know. I just wish things were less… complicated."

"This isn't just about the break out is it?" He opened his mouth and she spoke again. "Don't bother trying to lie; you know I'll be able to tell the truth."

"It's not. It's Suki. We're fighting again."

"When aren't you fighting?" Toph laughed and punched him in the arm. Despite dressing up a bit because she was the ambassador from the Earth Kingdom, she remained a tomboy.

He grimaced. "That's kind of the point."

The neared the entrance to the palace, but Toph continued to hold onto his arm. "You guys always work it out." She sighed. "You shouldn't worry about it too much, Sokka. Maybe the two of you will patch things up after we get through this crisis."


	10. Little Brother?

**Hi! Sorry it's been so long for an update, I had to move into college and get settled and all that fun stuff! It will probably be awhile until the next update because I am now writing around my classes and homework and other obligations, but I will try my best to get updates in a timely manner, I am very sorry for how long it took to get this chapter up. **

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><p>Kong approached Tu and Sheng in the tunnels. "Have you two accomplished your tasks?" The men nodded. "And the general?" They nodded again. "Good."<p>

"What took so long?"

"Increased security. The Kyoshi Center was more difficult to get out of than I had anticipated." They nodded. "Are we able to see the princess?"

"Anytime we want. And, we have figured out how to get the baby."

Kong smiled. "Good."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Katara looked over the General, water swirling over his body. She saw some cuts, but didn't sense any bruises or anything that would suggest he had hurt his ankles, other than a common fall. Nothing to suggest he had fought with earth-benders.

She glanced into his face. "You seemed to have healed nicely, General Ju Long." He put his shirt back on and smiled at the young woman.

"Thank you, Master Katara." He bowed and left the palace. Katara cleaned up the room they had been in and looked over at her older brother and his best friend.

"He fought the Kyoshi Warriors." She was sure of it.

"How do you know?" Zuko spoke quietly, one hand holding Sokka's shoulder so he didn't try to go fight the recently departed man.

"The wounds. When Aang fought the Dai Li, he had bruises from the rocks. And if he had been restrained the way you said he had said he was, the ankle wounds would have been different. His suggest he fell on them, not was pulled by them." Katara shook her head.

"We need to watch him, then." Toph spoke quietly from the other side of the room.

Sokka managed a laugh. "You aren't watching him, Toph."

"No duh." She shook her head. "But we need people we can trust to watch him." He looked at the young woman who had once been like a little brother to him.

"We'll get things figured out." Zuko spoke confidently.

"We can do that over tea." Iroh poked his head into the room and motioned for them to follow him.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Azula smirked as she watched a young fire-bender walk past her cell. She recognized her as having a close association with the girl she had once thought her best friend, Ty Lee. Despite knowing how good for the plan it was that she was not around, Azula missed her. Even after she had been imprisoned, she had been able to watch Ty Lee, talk with her, even if it was as a raving lunatic.

She watched the green cloak flicker in and out of view and laughed. The guard muttered something about her being crazy and she laughed harder. _You have no idea how well I've played my part. Only a few more days... _Azula lay on her cot and giggled, drifting off dreaming about her future plans.

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><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know I had fun writing it and am very excited to get everything really going in here. Then hopefully things will pick up, I'm sorry if they have been dragging the past few chapters. As always, constructive criticism is highly welcomed and appreciated. <strong>


	11. Lost Love

**Sorry that all this is taking a while. I have been trying to remain a chapter ahead, but that has fallen through because of my work load. So there will be no regular posting, I'll just try to do it as often as I can. I'm really glad that people are interested in reading this, and please review! 3**

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><p>"What's wrong, Katara?" Aang watched his girlfriend sit on the window seat of their bedroom and stare out into the sky.<p>

"I feel wrong abandoning my students. I'm supposed to be training them, yet here I am." Aang thought of the times he would stop by the Southern Water Tribe and watch her teach students water-bending. She would show them how to be fluid with their motions. She also had them use him as a target and example.

"Katara, they'll understand. This is a little more important." He hugged her.

"I'm sure Sokka feels the same way. He's been working closely with…"

"You're dad. And Hakoda is able to train them. And Pakku can handle the benders. There still aren't that many." Aang sat next to her.

"I know. I just don't feel like I'm doing enough here to justify not doing things there." She looked at him, tears in her eyes. "I feel so useless around everyone, I just… I don't know."

The Avatar put his hands on the water-bender's shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes. "I am the Avatar. Zuko is the Firelord. Toph is a master earth-bender and the first metal-bender. Iroh is a master fire-bender. Sokka is a trained warrior. Suki is a trained warrior. Mai is a trained warrior. And you, you Katara, are a master water-bender." He wiped her tears away and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Katara and you are as necessary to our group as any one of them."

There was a knock at the door and Katara rose and answered, only to find Suki in tears. "What's wrong?"

She just shook her head and Aang looked at the two and excused himself, only to run into Sokka while closing the door. "Sokka?"

"Is she okay?" Sokka looked distressed.

"She was crying. What happened?"

"We got into a fight. Aang, it just exploded. We were talking about what has been going on… and the fact that the Kyoshi Warriors were being blamed and we just started to fight and she started to cry and ran off." He smacked himself in the face. "I don't know what to do!"

"Why don't we go talk to Uncle Iroh? He always seems to have good advice." Aang led Sokka down the hallway, only to find Uncle making tea for Zuko.

"Girl problems, too?" Iroh smiled at the three young men in his room who all nodded. "Let me get you some tea and we'll talk."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"Suki, what's wrong?" Katara hugged her brother's girlfriend and sat by her on the bed.

"Your brother is what's wrong!" She started crying again and Katara rolled her eyes. She knew her brother was awful, and she knew that Suki knew that. But she still felt that these fights were putting more of a strain on their relationship than usually happened.

"What did he do now?"

"Well, we were out in the garden, talking about everything that's been going on. Tossing theories around and trying to sift through what we know and what we think we know. We started to talk about the warriors that have been missing and he suggested that I stay here and let him guard me." She shook her head and Katara tried to conceal her smile. Her brother always did that to Suki. "We started to argue about it and he asked me, he actually asked me if I trusted that the girls were trained enough or if we should just shut the whole project down!"

Katara felt her temper start to bubble to the surface. Her brother did some stupid stuff and said some stupid things, but to suggest that at a time like now! "He's an idiot. We need you. The Kyoshi Warriors are an amazing help to everyone."

Suki shook her head. "Earlier today, while Ty Lee and I were helping Iroh pick up some things for the house, we started to get yelled at for aiding dangerous prisoners. Iroh was a great help in keeping us okay, but with everything that's going on, I'm beginning to doubt myself, and my friends. Sokka obviously is doubting us, too! I need to go back to the center and make sure none of the other prisoners are involved. I'm leaving in the morning and Sokka and I are having such a huge fight!"

Katara hugged her again. "I wish I could help you Suki. All I can suggest is taking a break from each other while we figure this whole thing out. It's difficult to have a relationship. The stress is getting to Aang and I a little bit, too, but it doesn't seem to cause the same problems as you two have."

"Thanks, Katara." Suki smiled, despite the tears.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"Zuko, what kind of problems are you and Mai having?" Aang sipped at his tea and looked to his right.

"I'm worried about her. She's weak. Her aim is off, we were practicing different techniques earlier. We had decided to not have a nurse, but that means we're up all hours of the night and day. With everything that's going on, we're very worried. What about you, Aang? Everything seems to be fine with you and Katara." Zuko's good eye was puffy with a dark ring beneath it and his head was resting on his hands, though he had turned it to look at Aang.

"She feels guilty for being here. She doesn't think she does enough here to justify not training the other water-benders. And I feel guilty we're so happy when everything is going wrong."

"I'm happy, too, Aang. At least about having Fai and Mai in my life."

"Well, lucky you two. I just insulted my girlfriend after we were trying to get things back on track between the two of us." Sokka slammed his head against the table. "I always say the wrong thing."

Iroh smiled a little. "The rain always comes on the wrong day, but it makes the harvest more plentiful."

Sokka looked at the older man. "How do you know it won't wash it all away, though?"

"You don't. You just have to trust that everything will work out." Zuko looked at his uncle, wondering how he was able to have such faith after everything he had been through.

Sokka stood up. "Thanks for the tea." He slammed the door on his way out in his frustration.

Zuko shook his head. "He does realize this isn't easy on any of us, doesn't he?"

Aang laughed. "I'm just amazed he was able to think about something else while food was in front of him." The three of the men laughed and bid each other good night.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Suki left in the early morning to check on Azula and give some last minute instructions to Ty Lee. She then climbed on board a ship bound for Kyoshi Island, to talk to her townspeople about everything that had happened and prepare them for the distrust of them. Sokka watched her leave, but said nothing to her.

He walked down to the shore and sat on a pier, obviously wanting to be alone. Toph knew he was upset, but wouldn't let him sulk. She followed him down, uncomfortable on the wooden structure. "Help me sit down." She was gruff with him.

"Go away, Toph. I don't need your sarcasm right now." Toph's features softened.

"I wasn't going to be sarcastic."

He grew angry when she didn't just leave. "No? Then what were you going to do? You're always sarcastic and insensitive, you always have been!" He slammed his fist down on the dock, refusing to look at her.

Toph realized that was the only way he perceived her – the obnoxious, sarcastic little girl that followed them around. Sokka didn't notice the singular tear that ran down her face. "Fine!" She got up and ran back to her room, thinking he could never see her as a woman. "Insensitive? I am sensitive… I'm not fragile but I'm sensitive!" Ty Lee had watched everything that happened on her way to Azula's cell and her heart broke for the little earthbender.

She pushed the thought out of her mind, noting to talk to Toph later that evening. She slipped into the prison and past the previous Firelord in his cell. He glared at the small figure passing in front of him. He hated all of them. The fire nation citizens that were a disgrace like his son and brother.

Azula watched Ty Lee approach, her eyes softening just a little bit. She had always been jealous of her best friend, but sometimes she felt it was more than that. Not that it mattered right now. Ty Lee walked up to the cell, pulling a chair up.

"Hi, Azula."

"Ty Lee." Ty Lee grimaced at the cool tone Azula used with her. She tried to speak with her every once in a while. She missed Azula, the real Azula, that few got to see.

"Azula, do you remember when we were younger and went to that party on Ember Island?"

"How could I forget? I spent time with all you traitors and the ignorant idiots from there." Ty Lee refrained from recoiling at the anger in the statement.

"Could you just try to remember our happier moments? Like when we were travelling." Ty Lee suddenly thought of the night she had heard Azula crying in her tent. She had gone to comfort her and that was the first time they had kissed.

Azula couldn't help but think of it, too and she visibly softened. "Why did you betray me, Ty Lee?"

"I was trying to do what was best for the world. You know I hate that I hurt you." The two of them just looked at each other after that. Eventually, Ty Lee stood and walked around. She couldn't get the image of Azula crying in the tent out of her head. She walked out and asked someone else to guard her. She couldn't watch the woman she loved be behind bars anymore.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Azula lay on her mattress, thinking about the beautiful woman Ty Lee had become. She hated that she had betrayed her for her brother and his girlfriend, but she couldn't hate Ty lee. She heard a noise and glanced around to see Fong standing in her cell.

"Yes?" She hissed at the Dai Li agent.

"You will be out of here tomorrow, milady." He grinned at the princess he had served.

"Wonderful. And to what do I owe the pleasure of a quickened departure?"

"Your nephew." Azula smiled.


	12. Bye Bye Baby, revised

Mai woke in a sweat. "Zuko! Zuko, wake up!"

"What is it?" Zuko rubbed his good eye while he rolled towards his wife.

"Something is wrong." Mai was panicking. "I don't know what it is, but something is wrong."

"I'll go check on Fai." Zuko climbed out of their bed, not even bothering to throw a robe on. He knew that Mai didn't worry unnecessarily.

Mai couldn't lie in the bed. She grabbed a robe and when she entered the nursery, she saw Zuko crying and beating on the floor. She collapsed down next to him and he looked towards the opened window and screamed, letting out a blast of fire.

The entire gang reached the nursery at about the same time, worrying about what had happened. When they saw the empty crib, Sokka lifted Mai and carried her back to bed and Iroh pulled Zuko away from the window, covering him with a blanket. Sokka and Iroh returned from the connecting room and closed the door on the sobbing couple.

"This is not okay." Katara's fists were clenched at her side while she spoke. The words were slow and deliberate.

"Take me to General Whatshisname." Toph was sure he had something to do with it.

Katara nodded. "This has to do with him, somehow."

Then, they heard an alarm being raised and a messenger burst through the Firelord's door. "Azula has escaped!" Panic spread across the faces of the young adults and their mentor.

Ty Lee woke up to the sound of the alarms. She stood and threw on a simple pair of pants and shirt, not bothering with her usual uniform.

"You look amazing." The voice was soft and coming from the corner of the room.

Ty Lee's jaw dropped. Azula stepped out of the shadows, and she struggled to gain her composure. "A-Azula? How'd you get out? What – What's going on?"

"I'll explain later. Just, please, come with me. We can run away together." Azula's voice was soft and her eyes were pleading. Ty Lee looked down, torn between the life she had sworn into with the Kyoshi Warriors and the woman she had loved.

Footsteps pounded past her room and she heard Zuko's second scream. Ty Lee lifted her eyes from the floor. "What did you do?" Her voice was steely against the emotions she wanted to give into.

"Me? I assure you I did nothing." Azula grinned.

"Then what's going on?" Ty Lee irritation was rising with the level of insanity of her love.

"Come with me and find out." Azula had walked to the window and paused, smiling at the young woman. "I'm on my way out." With that she jumped, and Ty Lee glanced at the door before following her.


	13. June

**Hey guys! Sorry it's taken so long to update, school was crazy! However, its summer and hopefully I will be able to work on this much more. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It is a little jumpy, however, there is a lot to it. So, enjoy!**

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><p>Ty Lee thought about Toph's broken face while she was led through the blackened tunnel system. Azula knew the tunnels like the back of her hand… the hand that currently held Ty Lee's. She was troubled, knowing she was leaving the people who cared for her, the people who trusted her and relied on her. She would be considered a traitor. But she could not decide what would be more treacherous – her heart or her mind. She fully intended on discovering what was going on with Azula and communicating with the Gaang. But would she be able to betray Azula again?<p>

Ty Lee's head was spinning with decisions, but Azula was focused. She internally recounted the passages, trying to ignore the feeling of Ty Lee's hand in hers. She was supposed to meet the boys at the bay exit. Things had been planned perfectly, and they would have the baby hidden away.

Ty Lee could feel the cool air long before she heard the water splashing against the docks. Azula dropped her hand and spoke to her Dai Li friends. Ty Lee could only hear the murmurs and felt suddenly alone and afraid. She didn't dare lift her blindfold, made from scraps of Azula's clothing. She shivered, her pants and shirt thin. Azula glanced over at the young woman she adored. "Ty Lee, hold out your hand."

Her voice was hard, steely. Ty Lee swallowed hard and lifted her hand. Azula grabbed it and pulled her over to the three shadowy men. "Let's go." Kong spoke curtly, and Ty Lee stiffened. However, she refused to show her fear and she kept her back straight while Azula led her to an old war balloon.

Azula watched Ty Lee's façade fade as the balloon filled with air and they started to rise. She watched her take a deep breath and try her best to be calm. Azula walked over and sat next to her, wondering how this would work out, and took the blindfold off.

"So the baby was put in the woods, we created a cave, and…" Ty Lee interrupted Sheng.

"Baby? Fai?" Ty Lee jumped up and turned to Azula. "He's your nephew! How could you! He's just a baby! He needs his mother! He could die, Azula!" She was screaming and Kong tried to grab her and cover her mouth.

Ty Lee ducked under his arms and chi-blocked the other Dai Li, who were disadvantaged from the height of the balloon. Ty Lee had tears streaming down her face, both from her new knowledge of Fai, as well as how heartless Azula was acting. "Ty Lee, please, I swear, he won't be hurt."

Azula tried to comfort her warrior, but Ty Lee was having none of it. She stood on the edge of the balloon, trying to judge the best way to jump. Azula grabbed her around the waist and pulled her in the basket, avoiding the men lying on the bottom. "Let go of me!" Ty Lee couldn't twist around. "Mai was your friend Azula! And Zuko is your brother! How could you do this!"

"Ty Lee, I had to. Let me explain, okay? We have a long ride ahead of us." Ty Lee stopped squirming, decided to hear her out, but worried about the little babe she had become so attached to.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

General Ju Long was not at his house. Katara and Toph searched the city for him, while Aang and Sokka visited the cell of the former Firelord. Iroh was taking care of Mai while Zuko questioned the guards and staff of the palace, as well as sending a note to Suki. Toph and Katara were silent, a sure sign of their anger and the impending doom upon the General.

They stomped through the town, and the determined look in their faces discouraged merchants from trying to sell them their wares. Suddenly, Katara grabbed Toph's arm. "June!" Toph looked at her like she had drunk cactus juice. "June's shirshu!"

"To find the General?"

"To find Fai, Azula, all of them!" Katara got excited. "Let's finish looking here then go get Zuko and Appa. We'll get them!" Toph smiled softly, the idea of another world-wide adventure sounding very exciting to her, mostly because of the camping aspect.

General Ju Long sat in the forest, trying to calm the fretting baby. He grunted, realizing he would soon have to return to the city and leave the child crying in the woods. He struggled with this, trying to convince the child he was the father and to convince a mother wolf-rabbit to nurse Fai. The wolf-rabbit was a lot easier convinced than the baby.

The wolf-rabbit cubs crowded around its mother, who tentatively offered her breast for the squalling child. Fai suckled and then screamed again. He knew that it was not his mother and General Ju Long grumbled. "They get to escort the princess. They get to leave. They don't have to deal with the blasted child!" Ju Long set a blast of fire out of his fist, facing upwards. The cubs hid behind their mother and Fai screamed louder.

Toph and Katara finished packing small bags and hugged the crying couple good-bye. Aang and Sokka had already gotten Appa ready and said their good-byes. Zuko and Mai's swollen, red eyes showed little fear as they watched their friends leave. Iroh walked the two young ladies to the flying bison, giving them last minute advice.

"She'll be in the bar. You have something of theirs, correct?" Katara nodded, gesturing to one of the bags she held.

"We have a baby blanket, a shoe from the general Toph grabbed, the blanket from Azula's prison cell, and Ty Lee's uniform." Katara's voice quieted with the last statement, glancing up at Mai, leaning on Zuko for support.

"Good. Start with the baby. If we can get Zuko and Mai together, and know he is safe, we should have a much stronger team. I'll keep a watch on things here, and I alerted members of the White Lotus. After you find Fai, search for everyone else. If you cannot find them, try Ba Sing Se. If the Dai Li are involved they will be there. It is their nesting ground. And of course, Omashu will be useful. Bumi will watch things from there, but he is also gathering your friends, Toph. Maybe you stop there first and gather the old force. The more people we have, the better." Iroh stopped his lecture as they reached the bison. "Take good care of each other. It will be a difficult journey. I wish you luck." He hugged the girls and helped lift them into Appa's saddle.

"Yip yip!"

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! I would really appreciate any comments, criticism or praise. A note saying you're still interested. Thanks!<strong>


	14. Love of the Past

**Hey everyone! Another update. This is fairly short, with some fluff at the end, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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><p>June was never in a good mood. She sat in the bar, drinking a beer and beating up the idiots who thought they could come on to her. She sighed and slammed down her drink as another bozo tried to grab at her. She didn't even get up as she kicked him in the face, sending him flying across the room. The bar was located several miles outside Ba Sing Se, which meant that seedy merchants were constantly passing through and stopping at this little pub.<p>

She always hung out here though, remembering the times the pub had once been a respectable establishment (respectable being a relative term). She remembered meeting the soldier, a firebender on the run. He saw one of the guys trying something with her, she was just sixteen. He punched the man in the face, and threw him out of the pub.

_They sat and ate, chatting quietly. He offered to teach her self-defense and she took him up on the offer. He invited her to travel with him, evading the fire nation and training together. She agreed, and she packed a few things in a bag. They rode his shirshu for the rest of the day, setting up a camp by a river. He taught her how to fish, and how to put up a tent. She smiled at him, her hair falling in her face. _

_They laughed around a small fire, eating and joking. She had left on a whim, but was excited at the idea of traveling with the handsome stranger. Her dad had died not long ago, a bounty hunter. They went to sleep after putting out the fire, and Nyla watched over them. In the morning, Akio (meaning hero/manly) taught her some basic self-defense movements. She struggled with it, but after a few hours got the basics down._

_She rode behind the tall firebender after they had packed up their camp, her arms wrapped around his body. He was only eighteen, and didn't believe in the war. He had no choice. But when he got the chance, he left. It was why they decided to travel around, so he wouldn't get caught after abandoning the siege of Ba Sing Se. It went on like this for a while, traveling and training. Eventually, they heard that the siege had ended. _

_They were settling into their tent, having traveled together for a few weeks. "Akio, do you want to go live in Ba Sing Se?" He looked at her, this strong young woman who had decided to travel with him on an impulse. She had tanned some and her dark hair was pulled back from her face, having grown out during their travels. She had started filling out more and her clothes were getting tight and threadbare._

"_Is that what you want, June?" She nodded._

"_We could get jobs, work and live a quiet life." She looked down. "I'd like to settle down with you, Akio. I've lived my whole life on the run. I… I love you."_

_He hugged her. "Then to Ba Sing Se it is. I love you, too, June." They smiled and packed their things, ready to live a quiet life together. On their trip to the great city, they planned to marry, a simple affair and get a small place. They would both work and settle down._

_They could see the great wall rising in the distance. Their excitement rose with it. Finally, a place they could just relax and live a happy life. They didn't see the Fire Nation soldiers approach them. The area burst into flames as they attacked the young couple. Akio used his bending to lower it from in front of them and urged Nyla to run faster. June cried as she held on to him. Someone used a whip, and she was ripped off the shirshu's back. She screamed and watched as Akio turned Nyla around, running after her. She watched him jump off his back, and start to fight the men he had fought with a few months earlier. _

_Nyla paralyzed some of the men, but there were too many for the trio. June watched as they burnt Akio, calling him dreadful names. She cried and they tried to shove her into one of their machines, joking about who would get to do what to her first. Akio heard and fought harder. June felt the whip binding her loosen, and she was able to fight some. Nyla was close, and aided her in getting free. June was grabbed off her back again, this time by a man's arms. She fought her best and Akio ran over, trying to fight for her life, her purity. _

_He was conjuring flames and throwing them at the men grabbing at her. Soon, earthbenders arrived and the soldiers fled. June knelt over the man she loved. He was severely burned and injured, with cuts and bruises marring his body. Tears flowed down both of their cheeks. "June, take Nyla. Go to Ba Sing Se. Live your life. Please." June lay across the man who died for her. She felt him go still, and did her best to lift him over Nyla._

_She asked them to escort them to the pub they had met at. One man led them there, where she was allowed to bury his body in the back yard. She set up a small altar, and cried over his grave. She left with Nyla to Ba Sing Se. After spending a week on the streets, she realized without Akio, it held no appeal to her. She got a job as a bounty hunter, and, with Nyla, she traveled the world searching for criminals, becoming one of the most best fighters around. However, whenever she was not working, she was in the pub, as close to her beloved as she could be._

June sighed as she downed another beer. The owner of the pub was a close friend of her late father's and kept a room for her. She sighed again, and trudged up the stairs to her small room. Her room was sparse, holding only a bed, nightstand and wardrobe. Even her wardrobe only held a few different outfits. Her dearest possession, however, sat on the nightstand. She looked at the younger, happy version of her standing next to Akio.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

They had stopped to camp for the night, after what had felt like days of flying. The Dai Li agents made them tents from the rocks. Azula started a fire for them and they sat around it, trying to relax. Ty Lee was still upset over what she had heard today, but Azula had explained that her nephew was being well taken care of. She sighed and rolled onto her stomach, watching the flames flicker.

The two agents had gone into their tent to get some sleep, and Azula looked at the young lady lying next to her. She still looked trouble and it hurt Azula to know she had hurt Ty Lee. She scooted closer to her, and set her hand on the girl's shoulder. Ty Lee looked up at her and tears glistened in her large eyes.

"Oh, Azula!" She started sobbing and Azula wasn't sure what to do. She thought back to what her mother would do to Zuko when they were children, and she pulled Ty Lee into her lap, resting her head on her shoulder. Ty Lee threw her arms around Azula's neck, crying harder.

Azula hugged her back. "It'll be okay, Ty Lee. I promise." Azula didn't know what she was promising, exactly, but she knew she would do almost anything to make her friend smile. Ty Lee snuggled in closer to her friend, her sobbing slowing down.

Ty Lee looked up at Azula, who wiped the tears off her face. "I'm so sorry. I don't mean to be all emotional. I…" Azula cut her off with a finger placed over her mouth.

"It's… it's okay." Azula started to notice just how close Ty lee's body was to hers. She looked down into the girl's big, brown eyes and decided to follow her instincts. She leaned down, covering Ty Lee's lips with a firm but gentle kiss. Ty Lee gasped, and provided Azula with the opportunity to slide her tongue into the girl's mouth.

Azula had forgotten how wonderful it was to kiss and Ty Lee, who had gotten over her initial shock, let go of her resistance and melted into the kiss. Ty Lee's tongue hesitantly met Azula's and Azula felt herself become damp. Her body softened and the kiss deepened between the two of them. Azula leaned Ty Lee onto the ground, her body covering the acrobat's.

They stopped kissing, both breathing heavily. Azula's hair fell like a curtain around the two of them, creating a world where nothing existed beyond the two of them and the moment. Ty Lee looked into Azula's eyes, softened by desire and something more. She smiled at the girl leaning over her, flashing back to the days they had kissed while traveling, the closest of friends.

Azula's hand hovered above Ty Lee's chest, wanting to touch her, yet wanting approval to do that very thing. Ty Lee's eyes closed and her breath caught, wanting Azula to move her hand closer. She could feel the heat but wanted more, and arched her back against it. Azula's eyes widened in surprise. Even when they had traveled before, they had never done more than kiss. She squeezed gently, provoking a sigh from the acrobat.

Ty Lee felt her clothing restrict her, and realized she was no longer in control of her body. She moaned out Azula's name. Azula paused, however, realizing Ty Lee was no longer thinking things through. Although in the past she would have taken advantage of this, she didn't want to push Ty Lee away anymore. She broke away, her body fighting her.

"Azula?" Ty Lee's voice shook and Azula turned to her with a smile.

"Let's get some sleep, Ty Lee." Azula took her hand and they crawled into their tent, snuggling against each other as they fell asleep.

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><p><strong>Alright, so I won't be updating for awhile. There are a few things to let you guys reading this know. So I won't be able to update much this summer. That had been my plan, finish this story this summer, but I left all my notes at my school (in another state) and so all I would be able to do this summer is to make this story much longer and fluffier and I don't like to do that. That being said, I'm going to be working on a different one this summer, so if you enjoy my writing, I'm working on a Zutara story, rated M. So I hope you bear with me while this story takes another long break. I'm sorry and hope you will still be interested come September when I am able to update again. <strong>


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